Weather warnings as strong winds continue to batter UK

Strong winds will continue to hit the UK on Sunday in the wake of Storm Darragh, which left two men dead and thousands without power.

A yellow weather warning for wind remains in place for England and Wales into Sunday evening.

Gusts of up to 58mph inland and 67mph in coastal areas have been recorded so far on Sunday, with travel disruption and power cuts continuing.

Dozens of flood warnings are in place across the UK due to river levels swelling after days of downpours.

While conditions are expected to improve into the new week, more rain and wind is forecast for millions on Sunday.

It comes after the Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for wind, as Storm Darragh led to gusts of up to 96mph recorded on Saturday.

The conditions led to two deaths during the storm when trees fell on vehicles in Lancashire and the West Midlands in separate incidents.

On Sunday gusts of 66mph at Donna Nook in and 59mph at Holbeach were recorded in Lincolnshire in the early hours.

Concerns over flooding remain with 54 warnings for riverside communities in place. Another 135 less severe flood alerts have also been issued by the Environment Agency.

In Wales, which is still recovering from flooding caused by Storm Bert last month, nine flood warnings and 18 alerts are in force. Previous warnings in Scotland have now been downgraded.

The Energy Networks Association, who represent energy networks in the UK, said about 200,000 customers remained without power as of 09:00 on Sunday and 88% of customer affected by the storm have been reconnected.

Disruption to train travel is also set to continue on Sunday, with National Rail warning passengers to check their journeys before travelling.

It said there is likely to be “significant disruption” to services in south-west Scotland, north and south-west England and Wales.

Falling trees caused damage leading to line closures and delays between Leeds and Wakefield, Wolverhampton and Stafford, and in Merseyside.

A landslip between Tamworth and Nuneaton meant trains had to run at reduced speeds, while a number of routes were suspended in Wales.

Several operators were reporting problems on Sunday morning, including power lines damaged by downed trees. Speed restrictions are in place on some routes.

The M48 at Severn Bridge between England and Wales is expected to be closed until midday, according to National Highways.

Asked about the government’s response to the storm, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told the BBC Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “We saw two people have lost their lives and there has been major disruption.

“I know the energy secretary has been speaking about the power cuts and has been making sure that people have the power, and my thoughts are with those who have had that disruption.”

While strong winds continued to be forecast on Sunday, Storm Darragh is set to pull away south-eastwards, meaning conditions will not be as extreme as they were on Saturday.

For much of Wales, south-west England and Northern Ireland, Sunday is expected to be dry, turning sunnier later in the day. Scattered wintry showers in Scotland are expected to ease through the afternoon.

Heavy rain will continue across north-east England on Sunday morning, with showers also expected across eastern, central and south-east England.

A northerly wind means Sunday will feel cold and a frost is expected to develop overnight for many.

Storm Darragh was the fourth named storm of the season following Bert and Conall last month.